New Perspectives on Violence Against Women in India

From an early focus on rape, dowry, and sati—self-immolation—feminist struggles against violence to women in India have now moved to a wider terrain that includes issues rarely considered in the early days of the Indian feminist movement in the 1980s. In Nine Degrees of Justice, second- and third-generation feminists shed light on these contemporary concerns, sharing their perspectives on violence against women through a series of thought-provoking essays.

The contributors look specifically at whether the Indian legal system has led to justice for women who have been the victims of violence. What does “justice” mean for an individual survivor? Topics include violence in public spaces and cyberspace, women in armed conflict, lesbian suicides, a woman’s “right to choose,” and prostitution, and together, these essays make the case that justice for Indian women still has a long way to go.